The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-22

closed the TACT that my watch, too:
was missing.
1T would have been easier for the
| burglars if we had only put everything
they wanted in N place, you know"
Evelyn added, maliciously, land l am
so glad you had your pistols handy,
John, dear"
Mollie IN the meantime had dIsap.
peared-pOssibly at the junCture when
made a wild rush for my clothing
and now she reappeared with tear-wet
eyes. "My DON was entered, too"
she said, land 81 OF mymoney taken,
and my gold ring"
"Never mind, Pll make it all right
with you," ! said, ."but how was it
that you slept through it all, MoIlie?"
II don't knOw-OnIy it had been
washing day and | was very tired"
and did you hear the dog at alp"
"No; l don't believe he barked. l
can't understand it. Perhaps they
had diugged him during the day, or
something"
OF cOurse sent for the police, and
of course they took an inventory of
the rooms and the missing articles.
and of course they looked wise and
knowing, and of course that was the
last Of it, ! paid MoIIie her 50, and
her lover, Jim, supplied another ring
shortly, and the domestic machinery
went on as before.
"John," said Evelyn one day ONE,
''yOu must stop smoking so much, or
you'll be paralyZed one of these days.
1t is perfectly awful the amount of
cigars you consume"
81 don't smoke any more than |
used to-" said, 81 have kept just
about so for a good many years"
"Why, John, you deceive yourself!
You have no idea how the habit is
gaining upon you. know by the
quantity OF cigars that are brought
to the house. Just look owe your
last two or three months accounts
and see for yourself"
"WeIl, | will" l said, and l brought
out my books. Evelyn looked over
my shoulder.
Cigars: 14th ult,; cigars, 20; cigars,
IS; cigars, 29,"&c.
"You see, she said, "and every
time it was a box of cigars"
well, where are they now" | ask
ed bIankly.
echo answers, Where?'" replied
Evelyn. "You have smoked them up.
John. You did not realize how the
habit was gaining upon you, but did
when / saw those boxes come into the
house day after day, and as speedily
become empty"
''Maybe | get up in the night and
smoke | said, but surely, Evelyn,
dear, ! am not conscious OF smoking
any oftener than l did a year ago
"Well, they vanish. and | know |
don't smoke EN-, and there are the
figures before you," was Evelyn's con
elusive rejoinder. Talk about gro
Gerry bills. Just you say q word again,
if you dare, about expenses"
II won't mention 1T, ! assure you,"
| answered meekly. If you will drop
the obnoxious subject, will. Shake!'
and held out my hand.
mo, I'll not make any such COM
pact" laughed Evelyn, drawing her
hand away. "FH talk about it until
| see some sign OF reform on your
part"
Il am afraid, dear, the fire OF my
resolves will all end in smoke"
I paid all my bills by check on the
bank where l deposited my money.
My wife frequently sent Mollie to
make household purchases, providing
her with a check out of which the
butcher or baker took payment, re-
turning the change.
One night my wife and ! were enjoy
ing a pleasant tete-a tete in our neat
and orderly home after al elegantly
served dinner, when q man desired to
see me at the door on business.
1t was Mr.. Smith, our baker.
81 called to see you about this little
check" he said. "The bank refused
to take it, saying it was not you sig.
nature"
Itook the check and looked at it.
The amount was SIS, made payable
to bearer, and my name in full signed.
But it was not my penmanship,
though an excellent forgery.
"Who gave you this check2" ask
ed.
"Why, Your girl, Mollie. You know
she always brings checks in payment
for what she gets and / give her the
change. Yesterday she brought this
and got can OF oysters. told her the
signature was not natural, but she said
you scratched it of in a great hurry
just as you were going out. The bank,
however, desires your word for its au-
thenticity before cashing it,"
Evelyn had come into the hall dur
ing the conversation, and we looked
at each other in dumb amazement.
Was Mollie, our treasure, q forger?
"Call Mollie, Evelyn ! said.
We all went into the library ia await